Unstuck In Time
by L.Nost
Summary: The more time they spend together, the more Elsa notices the strange hours in the day that Anna would turn up missing. With someone around to finally notice her absences, Anna is forced to reveal exactly what shes been up too the past 13 years. Eventual Elsanna. Time traveling AU.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: All rights to Frozen belongs to Disney.

I have permission to use the cover art from the awesome artist A-KA! tumblr~akapost

* * *

The first time it happened, Anna had almost mistaken it for a dream.

She had been running.

Her strides were long and light, and she giggled as she twirled once, twice, and sprang forward down the great halls of the castle.

It had been too long since her smile had shone so freely and her laughter rang loud. The grey spell that recently fell upon the castle lifted, and it visibly brightened at the presence of the happy princess. The young girl basked in this feeling. It felt familiar, comforting. It reminded her of warm memories; memories of laughter, of snow and ice, of being happy.

It reminded her of Elsa.

Her stride faltered a step, and she slowed to a stop, troubled over the sudden feeling of loss.

Elsa had locked herself away recently, and the distance hurt Anna. She _needed_ the other girl. This time apart was distressing, and it didn't sit well with her; not when memories of them being so happy teased at her loneliness.

Her feet fell back into a run when she remembered why she felt so happy. Today was her birthday. But it wasn't just that. Today was her chance to see her sister. Anna hardly cared that she was turning 6, and she didn't care about the presents. No, she was excited because today Elsa would come out to see her.

Whatever drove Elsa to shut her out would be forgiven today, and they could go back to how they were before.

_Happy_.

With that in mind she grinned. Hope blossomed in her chest as she surged forward. Her thunder from earlier returned as she raced down the halls, and made her way straight towards Elsa's room.

"Elsa!" She sang, reaching out to knock on the door. The thought of seeing her sister filled her with excitement and she buzzed from it.

"Elsa, come out and play!"

The young girl swung her arms back and forth at her sides, trying to keep from knocking again. If Elsa were in there, she would've been more than aware of her presence by now. The shuffling she heard on the other side confirmed that thought.

The smile on her face widened and she called out again, "Today's special and I want to spend it with you."

Silence.

The pause behind the door worried her, and she began to doubt at the noise she heard earlier. But after a moment, a voice, small and smooth, finally filtered through.

"Anna... I'm busy, not today."

_What?_ The young girl drew back at the words. The smile on her face slipped, and she felt it drag the corners of her mouth down with it.

"But," she pressed on, her voice going soft. "D-don't you know what today is?" She tried, she really did, but she couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice. A wetness gathered in her eyes and she sniffed wetly at the itch in her nose.

"Anna, please. Go away."

The voice was strained and quiet, but Anna heard it clearly. She winced at the painful tug her heart gave at the rejection.

_She hates me. T_he thought forced its way into her young mind. That was the only explanation she could think of; the only reason that would explain the distance. She couldn't even pin point the reason behind it.

She loved Elsa, and Elsa hated her.

_It wasn't fair._

An ache swirled in her chest; feeling foreign and unpleasant. It drummed a painful beat in her chest that had her clutching to the fabric just above her heart. "You're not Elsa," she said. The words were harsh, but the ache in her chest forced them out. She couldn't stop them.

"Elsa loves me!" Again, her chest spoke.

A sob, loud and wet, forced its way out of the young girl. The sound trailed after her as she spun around and tumbled back down the halls of the castle. It struck hard at the walls, and shook the floor beneath her.

The fiercest of it collided with a door, and slipped under. It rose up and quickly surrounded the girl who lay crumpled on the other side.

"Anna," she called out weakly, swiftly releasing a sob of her own. Her body trembled and she slumped heavily against the door in front of her.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

The sun light spilling in through the window caught Anna's eye as she ran. She winced, blinded a moment, before her feet caught beneath her and she tumbled forward. The air rushed out of her lungs as her body fell heavy against the wooden floor.

The fall was hard.

Hard enough for a loud _thud_ to echo down the halls, and violent enough to shake the dust loose from the rafters. Stars danced across her vision as she laid there a moment, dazed. Her head hurt, but that was ok. She was happy for the distraction. Anything that drove away the rejection she felt was more than welcomed. Even if that distraction came with an ache that pounded at her head.

She reached a hand up to lightly touch at the tender flesh and flinched. A bruise would most definitely be there tomorrow. A bruise, big, and purple, and ugly; something her mother would throw a fit over. She didn't mind though. The pain she felt, it was being smothered, smothered by warm splashes of sunlight across her face.

_The warmth_.

It confused her a moment at how foreign it felt. Her eyes lidded, nearly falling shut as she welcomed its comfort. She smiled when it fell from her face and spread outward, filling the rest of her body. It drove away the aches and the pain, and in their stead was a warm, sleepy feeling. A far away part of her would've worried at the sleepiness, but that part was distant, too far for her to reach out to, and too far for it to matter now.

A flicker of white caught her attention, and her eyes quickly drew to a little speck of dust falling from the rafters. Anna watched in a daze as it floated down softly, side to side, slowly approaching the ribbons of sunlight that filtered in through the window.

_The window_. She thought slowly, distractedly.

It was_ open_.

Her eyes flickered back to the little speck the moment it fell into the light, and she marveled at the sight it made. The sun spilled into it; filling it. It filled it with a glow so strong that it shimmered and gleamed. This glowing spec was quickly joined by another, and another, and hundreds more as dust continued to rain down from the rafters. Each new piece glowed white, and hot, and bright as they fell.

The space above her filled with falling light, and it looked as if hundreds of stars were raining down on her.

_No_, Anna decided with a lazy grin, _not stars_. To her it looked like something ten times more wondrous, something a hundred times more beautiful.

To her, it looked as if it were snowing.

Her eyes fell shut at the thought and she wondered over the sudden wave of comfort.

A gasp sounded through the air and footsteps quickly made their way towards the fallen girl. Anna felt a new warmness surround her as arms gently took hold and lifted her into a firm embrace.

Anna fell against the warmth, feeling safe in it. The woman tightened her hold in response.

Anna slowly opened her eyes and her vision filled with hues of sparkling blue and shining gold. She lifted her gaze higher and saw the eyes of her mother. Her lip quivered, and she sank back into the older woman, burying her face against the shoulder in front of her. She let loose a cry, not fully realizing that she was being held in a stranger's embrace. The warmth she felt from her was familiar though, and Anna clung to it desperately.

"E-Elsa hates me," the girl sobbed out.

The woman tensed at the remark. A worried look settled onto her face before she moved to stand with the girl tucked safely in her arms. She reached a hand up, hesitated, then laid it flat against the girl's back. She rubbed soothing circles against it, trying to offer comfort as best she could.

"Anna," she called gently after a moment, willing the young girl to listen. "Elsa doesn't hate you." She turned her head and murmured against the girls hair softly, trying not to upset the child, "She loves you more th.."

"No!," the young girl interrupted, with a voice that was loud and wet.

"No," she repeated again softer. "If she did, then she would be here right now. Next to _me_. She'd be here and we'd be happy," Anna whispered, suddenly tired. Her grip on the woman weakened slightly.

The words were sharp and regret quickly washed over the older woman's features. She drew the girl closer again, and a feeling of despair filled her. She didn't like this. She didn't like the sight of the young girl crying, or the sound of her sobs. This kind of pain was familiar to her, and with her alone it would stay. She refused to allow Anna to feel any of it.

"Anna. Listen, please." The bundle in her arms hiccuped once, but said nothing. "She does love you. Please believe that. Give her time and she'll prove it to you."

Her voice was a melody that Anna sunk into. Her eyes drooped at the sound of it. She grabbed a tiny fistful of the woman's dress to ground herself, desperately trying to stay in the moment.

"But, but why won.."

"Anna," the woman called out softly, interrupting the girl this time. She pulled away a bit to look at her, hoping the girl would do the same.

But the young girl didn't budge. She didn't want to. Not when she just realized that she hadn't felt this loved in forever. She felt loved by her parents, yes, but this was different. This was the love she _needed_, and she didn't understand why.

"Anna, look at me. _Please_."

Anna started at the sound. It was soft and sad and... familiar.

She pulled back and rubbed at the tears in her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw a loving pair gazing back, patient and kind. She stared, confused a moment. She knew those eyes. She knew who they belonged to, and that person wasn't here. That person was locked away safely on the other side of the castle.

Right?

"E-Elsa?" she asked slowly, unsure. Her eyes traveled over the woman's face, confused at the form her sister stood in.

Her gaze slowly turned back towards the window; suddenly she remembered the first oddity. Again she saw that the window was open. She remembered that the windows had been ordered shut for months, and for months they stayed that way.

Until now.

Now they were open. They were opened big and wide; shining like a bright smile against the face of the wall. It welcomed in the sunshine that warmed the left side of her body.

Anna's gaze continued past the window, it traveled out beyond the castle walls, and slowly traced over the Fjord and the mountains around it. She found that her eyes were greeted with a sun that shone too brightly, with flowers that have blossomed too early, and with rolling hills that were too lush and too green for this time of year.

The sight was peculiar. Her brain couldn't make sense of it. Not when she knew for a fact that fall had surrendered to winter just the week before.

The woman holding Anna shifted and lightly brushed the tears from the young girl's face. Her hand then took hold of the girl's cheek and gently pushed against it, bringing her gaze back to her. She smiled at the curiosity and wonder that radiated from the girl and spoke again to reassure the child.

"Changes are taking place, Anna. For both you and Elsa," she said softly, her voice growing serious, "It may not seem like it now, but Elsa loves you very, very much."

Anna nodded, but remained quiet. She leaned back into the woman's embrace, believing every word. She forgot about the confusion that ran through her mind, and just listened to Elsa's voice. Her eyes once again grew heavy at the sound of it.

"Things will get better," the woman assured her in a whisper, "I promise."

The sadness Anna felt earlier seemed so far away now, as a she felt a warmness spread through her again. Anna smiled happily at the feeling, and let it fill her body. Her posture relaxed fully, and she melted into the woman's loving embrace. Sleep was gripping at her, willing her to surrender, but Anna fought against it stubbornly. She wanted to stay. This was what she'd been missing. This was the company that she so desperately wanted from her sister, and for the moment, she had it.

She couldn't let go now.

"I love you," Elsa whispered against her ear.

Anna's eyes fluttered and shut at the sound. Her voice… it was like a lullaby she couldn't resist. She felt her mind grow heavy, as a smile, gentle and soft, tugged at her lips. Those words were the final chorus to the song that lulled Anna to sleep.

She allowed her grip to lessen on the woken world, and finally, she let go.

* * *

The woman smiled down sadly at the sleeping child. The sight of Anna so small did little to surprise her. No, she had learned of this little quirk of her's not too long ago, and she quickly learned to treasure it. She savored these moments, short as they were, and now thought of them as opportunities; opportunities that allowed her to amend past mistakes and to be there for Anna.

A fondness filled her heart at the sight in her arms, and she lingered another moment to run gentle fingers though the girl's hair. This was the smallest form that Anna had come to her in, and she giggled at the chubby cheeks and tiny hands.

A pair of eyes, wide and confused, flashed through her mind, and she realized then, that this was the first time that Anna must have traveled. Time had granted her the freedom to wander from one memory to the next, unhindered. And this was the first moment that Anna found herself free of the binds that were held so firmly on everyone else.

This was the first time she strayed from her own time line and stepped blindly into another.

Elsa's hold on the girl tightened, thankful that she had come across the small child when she had. The anxiety she felt upon first learning of Anna's ability was still very much alive. Nothing could stop her from constantly worrying for the girl's well being. Anna was the one thing she truly cared about in this world, and she couldn't bare the thought of anything happening to her.

Most of the time Elsa would be there, Anna assured her one day; waiting for her, making sure she stayed safe.

But… there were other moments, Elsa recalled her sister saying, moments were she wasn't.

And that thought terrified her.

She shivered when her mind went back to a night a few weeks prior; the night where Anna had silently slipped into her room and awoke her. She probably hadn't meant to, Elsa realized, but a body suddenly pressed along the length of hers had startled her so harshly, so effectively, that the blanket in her hands had frozen over and shattered in the tightness of her grasp. Relief, thankfully, was quick to come when her eyes opened to fiery red hair and dotting freckles.

Of course it was Anna. That relief was short lived however when she noticed that the younger woman was trembling.

She was crying.

Anna had confessed that night; sobbing and clutching at her, that there were indeed moments— dark frightening moments where Anna found herself alone— alone in a place she didn't recognize, without Elsa, and scared.

Fear once again gripped at Elsa and a panic overcame her. She tried desperately to force the feeling down and the thought away. Now was not the time to place blame on herself. She had plenty of time to do so later.

Anna was in her arms now, and she was _safe. _That's what mattered. That's _all_ that mattered.

_But she was so young_, Elsa thought worriedly, not being able to help herself. She wondered again how her sister managed to keep this a secret for so long.

Her gaze saddened and her heart dropped when a sudden thought filled her mind. _Not that I ever gave her the chance to tell me,_ she thought bitterly_. _Guilt fell upon her again, when she remembered the years she had shut Anna out.

The few months after the Great Thaw had given them the chance to grow closer again, to mend broken bonds, but moments like these served as a reminder— a reminder that she had never suffered alone all those years, and a reminder that she was a fool to believe so. Her gaze traveled back down to the small child.

She had so much to make up to Anna.

Elsa adjusted her hold, and pressed a kiss lightly to the girls temple; a silent promise that everything would be alright. She then moved to sit below the open window, making sure to keep her movements gentle and her feet light. Once settled and comfortable, Elsa waited. She knew these moments never lasted long, and so she waited for the past to once again reach out for the young girl.

She waited for the past to notice the absence and miss Anna; miss her like she was missing hers now.

Briefly, she wondered where her Anna was, and prayed that she was in a safe place. Elsa quickly shook the thought from her head. Of course Anna was safe.

_She had to be._

She huddled the young girl closer, treasuring the moment. She relaxed fully and took comfort in the warmth that always came with having Anna close.

* * *

Author's Note:

So this is my first fic. Woo! yay!

The transition from reader to writer was as difficult as I imagined. I realized that when it took me _forever and a day_ to write this. The inspiration came from the book/movie, "The Time Traveler's Wife," and I started writing with a very vague idea of where I wanted to take this fic. Now that I've gotten this first chapter written out, I've come to realize that it would be very difficult to actually keep things organized and following a straight line of thought.

I don't know if I should just consider this a one shot, or make it into a series of short stories? Again, I'm not sure. Suggestions?

Ok, that's all I got. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All rights to Frozen belong to Disney.

**Notes:** Takes place 2 months after the great thaw. Elsa doesn't know about Anna's powers. Anna- age 18, Elsa- age 21.

* * *

Anna slowly made her way down the halls of the castle. The floor boards creaked below as her feet dragged heavily across them.

She was exhausted.

Her muscles were stiff and aching, and she groaned when she moved to brush the snow from her clothing and hair. She pulled the light cloak around her shoulders closer and shivered. There was a chill that hovered in the air, and it clung to her. It felt like a shroud that she couldn't shake off and the weight of it weakened her. She chanced a look out the window and flinched.

It was dark.

How long had she been gone?

* * *

**(Earlier)**

Elsa sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

Two months had passed since she re-assumed her role as Queen. Only two months- and already she could feel the stress pile up.

She opened her eyes to continue reading, but her mind couldn't focus. Weariness had her over worked, and she tried laboriously to stay attentive. Elsa's back straightened and her brow furrowed. She flipped to the first page and started over. She was a Queen. Queens were thorough, they were meticulous, they were detailed. These things came naturally to Elsa. They really did.

Her eyes snapped back to the document and she smiled when her brain finally took in the words. This continued for a moment, just a moment, before her eyes glazed over and she lost focus again.

Elsa groaned out in quite frustration. She placed the stack of papers down as far away as she could, and eyed the breakfast in front of her tiredly.

"Good morning!"

Elsa's head shot up, and a smile slipped onto her face at the sight of the woman entering the room.

"Good morning, Anna," she replied, more than happy that Anna was there.

These morning appearances were few and far between, and Elsa was grateful for the small miracle.

She needed the company.

Her smile widened when Anna took the seat next to her and scooted it close. "How was your night Anna?" She asked, leaning towards the younger woman.

"Fine, it was fine," Anna said quickly, snatching a sweet roll from the table and falling back into her chair. "What are your plans for today?" she asked excitedly, turning to face Elsa.

Elsa eyed the girl curiously. For someone who never got up before noon, Anna was being extremely energetic. She couldn't tell if she should be proud that Anna was adopting a more reasonable sleeping pattern; or weary of what her intentions might be. Anna never deviated from her norm, and that few times that she did, trouble usually followed.

She kept her eyes trained on the younger woman and looked for signs that might hint at the girl's schemes.

Movement from the girl broke her from her thoughts and her eyes flickered down to Anna's hand. A strange interest had her gaze fixated to the appendage as it rose to lift the sweet roll to the girl's face. The younger woman never woke early enough to have pastries so fresh, and she seemed to be appreciating the warm sweet aroma that still steamed from it.

That appreciation lasted all of one, maybe two seconds, before it was stuffed into an eagerly awaiting mouth. Elsa stared in quiet amusement as Anna smiled through the mouthful, cheeks puffed and bouncing as she chewed.

_She looks like a chipmunk_, Elsa thought. Exactly like the ones she'd seen in her picture books as a child. She bit her lip, nearly laughing at the sight.

"Well..," Elsa began, holding back the chuckle in her voice. She quickly went over her schedule in her head, trying to distract herself from the adorable sight, "I have a meeting with the counsel later this morning, and then afterwards I have another meet..."

"No, no that'sh not wuht I meant," Anna interrupted through a mouthful of the pastry and swallowed. It looked like it hurt a bit going down, "I meant, what are your plans today with _me_," she gasped, gently patting her belly, content. She turned to look up at Elsa hopefully, eyes wide and shinning.

Elsa swallowed and blushed at the sight. _So cute_.

"I mean, we haven't been spending enough time with each other recently." Anna rushed on, suddenly looking nervous, "Well, we _do_ spend time together, but that's just during meals. I want to actually go out and do something with you. Like before. I hardly see you now days, Elsa. We can go to the gardens, walk around a bit, have some tea maybe?"

The girl was heaving by the time she finished, and a blush rose to her cheeks when she saw that Elsa was giggling. Anna sagged back into her seat and pouted at the older woman.

"That...," Elsa's grin softened to a smile, "would be lovely," she finished.

Anna's head snapped up, "Really?!" she asked, leaning over her chair.

Elsa responded with a gentle nod and a small smile.

"Ok, alright, yes!" Anna nearly yelled, words tumbling out. Elsa bit her lip at the delightful blush that flooded the girl's cheeks. Anna looked horrified for a moment before she quickly straightened in her seat. She squared her shoulders back and held her chin high. In a hopeless attempt to regain some form of dignity she adopted a regal aura and forced a strange calmness into her voice.

"I'll get everything ready then," Anna said with a nod, neatly folding her hands in front of her, "Leave it to me and I'll meet you in the gardens after your morning meetings." She sent the Queen a gentle look before slowing rising from her seat.

Elsa returned the look and smiled. She had to admit, Anna took on the guise of Queen surprisingly well. _She would be a natural_, she thought proudly. Her mind quickly filled with visions of Anna rising to the head of the kingdom, commanding hordes of men and conquering faraway lands. She would stand ever grand and imposing, the striking image of a Queen. A silly smile threatened to pull at her lips as more and more images of Anna the Great filled her mind.

That thought was dashed however when a squeal, childish and loud, rang right into her left eardrum. She winced and let out a noise of complaint. _It hurt_.

Anna didn't seem to notice though. A grin had split across the younger woman's face and her eyes had shut from the fierceness of it. She then grabbed another sweet roll, stuffed it into her mouth, and jumped away from the table. The girl moved like lightning. All sense of regality fell off her that instant as she sprinted straight for the door.

Elsa let out a laugh, and her shoulders shook from the force of it. She would never grow tired of Anna's cheerful nature.

Of course she was more than willing to push a few meetings later into the day. A relaxing afternoon with Anna would do wonders for her tired nerves. _Besides_, she thought warmly, time with Anna would always be something she'd cherish and enjoy.

"Oh," Elsa gasped out when she felt a pair of lips, soft and warm, press gently to her cheek. Anna was there besides her, having come back without her notice.

"I just wanted to say thank you," Anna breathed, still hovering close, "for agreeing to come out with me."

"Anna," Elsa sighed, heart thump, thump, thumping away.

She turned her head and lightly raised a hand to gently cup Anna's cheek. She ran a thumb against it wanting to reassure the younger woman.

"If I could," she said softly, "then I would do anything to make you happy," she promised.

And she would. She really, really would. Thirteen years apart, and Elsa would do _anything_ to make it all up to Anna.

Anna's face flamed at the words, before a bright smile broke across it. Anna tilted her head slightly into the older woman's hand and she breathed out a happy sigh, "Thank you."

Anna lingered, enjoying the moment, before she gently pulled away. She made her way to the door again and paused before leaving. She turned slightly towards the Queen; softly calling out to her.

"Oh, and Elsa?," A smile played light and gentle on the girl's lips, "I Love you."

Elsa's heart swelled, "I Love you too, Anna."

* * *

Anna was pulled away from the memory when a sudden pain shot through her head. She flinched and brought her finger's up to rub at the ache.

_That was hours ago_, she thought, panicked.

The fingers pressed to her head continued to knead at the pain, while she tried to figure out if a few hours were really all that had passed.

She just wanted to spend time with Elsa, she thought sadly, before her mind went back to the rest of the morning.

* * *

She had just left her room, ready to prepare for the day's events.

Anna paused when she felt a familiar feeling tug at her.

_Oh no_, she thought, _no, no, no_.

Her movements stopped suddenly as a light tingling sensation ran through her. It spread like lightning, and covered every inch of her with a numbing buzz. Her senses dulled, and her gaze grew distant; unfocused.

Anna reached out blindly for something to steady her, anything to ground herself, but her fingers grasped into nothingness. She was vaguely aware of a light pulling sensation before a gale of wind and snow swirled around her, and her mind snapped back into focus.

Instantly, she clutched at the light cloak around her shoulders and shivered violently.

Anna realized then, that she was outside, surround by harsh winds and biting cold; stuck in the middle of a snowstorm.

_O-okay, _she thought, trying to lighten the situation_. Snow. Nothing new here. Snow has been part of my life since forever, I can handle this_, she reassured herself, trying to stave off the fear that nagged at her.

Her feet moved; instincts took over, and she ran. The wind was vicious as it pierced through her, chilling her body and mind. She ran for shelter, anything to stop the torrent of snow that stabbed at her, hurt her.

Her body grew stiff and her movements' heavy, as she searched, and searched, and searched. The endless whiteness frightened her. It was bringing on a panic that had her head reeling.

_This feels familiar_; she thought distractedly. A memory of a very similar situation flashed through her mind. The ice, the cold, the desperation; It all felt familiar. Every bit of it.

_Except..._

Except this time she realized, as fear swirled up and demanded her notice, that she was _alone_.

Tears gathered in her eyes like pools, before they spilled and froze on her cheeks. _This is_ _bad_, she thought, finding no others words to describe it, b_ad, bad, bad_. She desperately wanted Elsa. The need to feel her warmth was overwhelming. This wasn't the cold that she was familiar with. No, the cold she knew was gentle. It was familiar. All her life it floated around her softly, ever constant.

But this cold. It knew no mercy. It grasped at her with a grip that tore at her being, and she weakened from the strength of it.

Her teeth clattered as she circled in place, eyes searching through the heavy snowfall. She circled again, hoping to find anything,_ see_ anything, but all she saw was a blank whiteness. Her vision filled with it. She felt as if she stood on a canvas that was on the verge of being erased.

The landscape desired a new start at creation, and it would wipe out Anna to attain it.

She brought her hands to her chest, clutching one in the other. She could feel the stiffness in them, and numbness settled in as she flexed them once, twice. A breath blown against them did little to provide warmth, and she realized then that she was freezing.

_Again_.

But this was different.

It felt... pointless.

This time she had no one to save, and no one to save her. Freezing now felt like a life wasted. There was no purpose in dying, and she couldn't. Not when a vision of Elsa, alone, flashed through her mind and brought an ache straight to her chest. She wouldn't do that to Elsa. She couldn't.

She pressed forward, refusing to quit so easily.

A gust of wind picked up and blew against her hard; she raised an arm to shield herself from the worst of it and squinted against the wind.

She saw it then; a break in the distance.

Only a short run away.

Anna almost cried at the sight as she quickly dashed toward the opening. There was a clearing just beyond the storm and she quickly broke into it, nearly falling to her knees. The tears came instantly as she reveled in the gentler winds and peaceful air. The relief she felt was immense, and her heart cried out in joy for the miracle that spared her life.

A smile pulled weakly at her lips as hope of returning to Elsa filled her chest. She'd make it through this for sure.

Anna straightened at the thought, and drew her cloak closer to her body. The warmth it failed to produce was upsetting, and her grasp of the material tightened in distress. Slowly, she became aware of the dull ache that pounded at her head, and the violent tremble in her limbs. Her spirits dropped as she was reminded of just how serious her situation still was.

She was still outside in the wilderness; disoriented and utterly exposed. Even with this respite from the storm, she was still vulnerable. The light cloak and dress she wore was fitting for the warm sunny day she had come from, but it was no longer enough now. She wouldn't be able to remain warm and conscious for much longer. Especially now that a sudden weariness was settling into her bones and weighing her body down.

Heavy, lidded eyes slowly scanned the clearing around her. "Where am I?" She asked aloud, speaking to the night air.

She looked further into the distance. Searching. Her eyes narrowed when she saw a shimmering light.

"The North Mountain!" she yelled out, instantly recognizing the Ice Palace.

Happiness washed over her in waves at the familiar sight, and the feeling doubled when she noticed a figure against the horizon. She knew that figure. Even shrouded in darkness and obscured by distance she knew who that figure was. It was the person she needed most. It was Elsa.

_Elsa, _her heart cried out.

She quickly stepped forward to make her way towards the woman, wanting nothing more but to grab her close, and fall into her safety; but she stopped short.

She felt it then, something rising and gathering around her.

The air thickened and filled with the familiar tingles of magic. Anna crouched slightly and braced herself, knowing well what usually followed.

She waited.

Her body tensed and her eyes fell shut in anticipation.

Nothing.

Anna peeked an eye open, confused. It didn't wrap around her. It didn't pull at her. It didn't take her away.

Instead, it brushed past her; past her and straight toward Elsa.

Elsa swooped down low to catch the approaching energy and rose up in a twirl, pulling it close. She held it to her chest, dancing with it for a moment before she gathered it tight into her hands, and held it high into the air. It sparkled brightly, beautifully, before it burst out across the sky and showered down in shimmering lights.

Magic swirled and pulsed heavily through the air. Anna realized then that the palace was only partially finished.

Elsa was still in the midst of creation.

Anna's eyes widened as she took in the sight. Slowly she understood which moment she had stepped into.

This was the moment where Elsa found herself free; the moment where she finally embraced the beauty of her power.

Anna forgot about the chill in her bones, and felt her eyes water.

It was _beautiful_.

* * *

Anna came back from the memory, and reeled from the strength of it. She glanced out a nearby window and saw that the moon was high in the sky. It sat among the stars, glowing bright and full.

She worried over the Queen's reaction as she approached the door to her room and fell heavily against it. Maybe she can convince her that she had forgotten. Everyone knew of Anna's forgetfulness. They knew she had a tendency for daydreaming. She was always found distracted, and when she was distracted she often lost track of time.

But... did _Elsa_ know that?

They had grown close in the past two months, yes, but so much has changed since they were children.

Anna stepped into her room and gently closed the door behind her. She leaned into it, needing the support. Her head lolled softly to the side as she released a tired sigh. The ordeal from earlier had left her feeling weaker then she originally thought.

She quietly stood there in the darkness a moment, feeling a hot, hot heat gather and rush to her head.

_Strange_, she thought, considering the cold that still shivered through her body.

The door creaked behind her when she finally slumped away from it, making her way across the room. She unlatched the clasp on her cloak and threw it. The fabric fluttered through the air in slow gentle waves, before lightly settling. Anna noticed it then, a figure just beyond her bed.

"W-what," she gasped, startled.

It took a moment, but her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness and her heart calmed at the sight.

A vision of blue and gold.

It was Elsa.

The Queen sat motionless in a chair. Her body was collapsed against the wall and her head lay pressed against the window, almost as if she were still looking through it.

She was asleep.

Without another thought, Anna moved to snatch her cloak off the bed, and quickly made her way to the older woman.

Above them, the moonlight broke through the clouds and shone down on them. It casted the pair in a soft glow, and Anna's breath caught at the beauty below her.

_She's glowing,_ Anna thought, lightly dazed. The moon reflected off Elsa's skin, her hair, her clothes, her… everything.

She was literally glowing in the moonlight.

Anna swallowed at the tightness in her throat, confused by it, before she carefully placed her cloak over the woman, and gently tucked it into place.

Her movements were slow and careful, but the Queen still stirred.

Anna almost kicked herself.

_Stupid_, she thought, remembering only then that the woman never felt the bitterness of cold.

She froze. Her hands were still on Elsa's shoulders, when the woman's eyes fluttered and opened slowly. Elsa's hand rose and gently laid over the one on her shoulder, grasping at it lightly.

"Anna?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Why won't she wake up?!"

_Anna frowned._

_Or she thought she did. Everything around her was dark and muddled. She couldn't see, but she could hear._

_Was she dreaming?_

"Your majesty please, the room is growing cold. Getting upset won't help the princess."

"I-I'm sorry," she heard the voice say, choked up and horrified. "I'm sorry," it said again after a moment, softer. "It's just… she's been asleep for days, Gerda." The voice cracked. "She shouldn't be asleep this long."

"I know your Majesty," Gerda said softly, trying her best to ease the young Queen's fears, "But Anna's a strong girl. You know that just as well as I do. All we need to do is wait for the fever to break. The moment it does, she'll be up and about before we know it."

The words were meant to be comforting, but the sentiment was lost to the Queen. All she seemed to be focusing on was how the princess laid still on the bed. So, so still.

"And what if she doesn't?" the voice grew in frustration, "I mean… just look at her, Gerda."

The older woman flinched at the tone, but she complied nonetheless. What she saw hurt her. Her gaze fell upon a princess who laid there small and unmoving. She had been like this for two days now; ever since that little vanishing act she pulled.

She remembered the Queen saying that she found Anna like this, weak and cold, collapsed right up against her in the middle of the night. A fever was already ravaging the poor girl by then, and she had been asleep since. It was hard to see the young woman looking so frail. Her heart broke at the sight, but she struggled hard to keep her face strong.

"Like I said your majesty, Anna is a strong girl. She's much too stubborn to let anything keep her down for too long. She's been through far worse."

A look of guilt fell upon the Queen's face, and she instantly regretted those last few words. She hurried on.

"Anna would hate to see you like this. Worrying yourself sick. You know she would. So please dear, let her rest. She needs it. You both need it," she finished, throwing the Queen a look.

_Anna agreed. She couldn't speak for the first voice, but her mind was growing heavy. Heavier than it already was. She lost track of the voices around her and fell back into the darkness._

* * *

**Flashback Anna aged 8 **

"And this? What's this?"

Elsa placed the book she was reading aloud down and smiled at the young girl. The story book had been Anna's idea, but her attention was obviously elsewhwere now. Almost as soon as she started reading the child was already up and wandering about, playing with the various items in the room and asking after their nature.

"That, my dear, is a paper weight."

"A paper weight?" Anna looked at the item in disbelief. _How could it just be a paper weight?,_ her mind asked. It was made of gold for crying out loud. And not only that; it was also lined with diamonds and other precious gems that sparkled bright, bright, bright. How could something so beautiful serve so little purpose. Fated to serve as nothing more than a glorified decorative piece?

She didn't know why, but she felt sad for the little paper weight.

"Yes. It was a gift…," the older woman said, trailing away at the look on the girl's face. She frowned at the sight. "Anna, what's wrong?"

The girl looked up in surprise, unused to the attention. She felt the pout on her lips then, and wondered just how long it had been there. A faint memory of a lesson not too long ago was brought forward. She remembered how she was taught to mask her emotions. Even at a young age her father stressed the importance of image. He even told her a mantra of concealing that she didn't feel the need to remember. No one was around often enough to notice anyways, so she often allowed her emotions to reign freely across her face.

The girl sucked her lip back in and stayed quit. She didn't know what to say. She never had to explain her feelings to anyone before. Well, other than to her newly acquainted friend, Joan. But Joan never judged her. She was the silent type after all.

"Anna," Elsa called again. When the girl didn't move, she made her way over and wrapped her arms around the young girl. She still wasn't sure how to comfort small children, and she couldn't pull anything from personal experience, but she knew hugs were a good start. It worked once before with the child.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" The Queen asked softly. "Almost a shame that a paper weight is all it is." Elsa gave a knowing smile at the wide-eyed stare she received and continued, "Like I said, this was a gift. A gift from a very, very important person. So it's more than just a paper weight to me."

Anna grinned slowly, understanding, "It's special to you. Like treasure?"

The Queen chuckled. _Treasure_. The girl was referring to the book they were reading earlier. It had been about gold-seeking ventures out in the high seas. "Yes, that's exactly it."

"So this person, did they fight pirates for it?" the young girl asked curiously. She was young, but she knew valuables like this couldn't have been obtained so easily, and not just by anyone. Her grinned widened, "Did a prince give it to you?"

The older woman laughed lightly at that. "Not a prince, no. More like a... knight." A fond smile settled onto the Queen's face, "Yes, in every sense a knight."

The young girl turned in the Queen's arms and faced the desk behind her. She moved with deliberate care and slowly lowered the jeweled piece back onto the wooden surface. She looked at the item in quiet respect. _This was a gift from a brave knight_, she thought. _A knight who must have gone on epic journeys. A knight who fought dangerous monsters, braved the elements, and saved princesses._ Her thoughts shifted to the woman behind her,_ Queens even._

This item was touched by a person who had seen so much. A person who had done great things. Her fingers tingled at the thought, and she smiled.

"Wow," the young girl breathed, before turning curious eyes towards the woman. "Where's your knight now?"

The smile on the Queen's face slipped, "I-I'm not too sure."

Anna heard the tone in the woman's voice and it was her turn to notice the look on the Queen's face. She decided then, that she didn't like it. Nope, Elsa wasn't allowed to look so sad.

"Don't worry!" She said brightly, "They've probably gone off to look for more treasure. They know a Queen like you deserves all kinds of treasure," she reassured. A thought came to mind just then, and the prospect of it excited her, "I know. How about for now, just until they get back, I'll be your knight?"

The Queen looked at the little girl, surprised. She regarded the girl curiously a moment before she noticed the glint in her eye. Elsa's lip quirked up when she realized what the girl was about to do.

The young girl stepped away from the Queens embrace. Anna turned on her heel to face the older woman and puffed out her chest. She put on the bravest face she could muster and proclaimed, "I, Anna of Arendelle, do hereby vow my allegiance to the Crown."

The books about the knights were always her favorite and she had long since memorized the Knight's Oath. She knew that knowledge would come in handy one day, and today was the day where it would finally pay off. She dropped to the floor, forgetting to kneel before the Queen earlier. A silly smile broke across her face before she steeled herself again.

"To ever be a good knight, reverent and generous." She tried, but the smile she held back broke through, "Shield of the weak, obedient to my liege, and champion of the right and the good." Anna's smile widened. Sure she didn't know what most of those words meant, but she knew she did well when a laugh, light and gentle, came from the Queen.

"Bear these blows and no others," the Queen said with a grin, continuing the act. She touched the girl's right shoulder. "In remembrance of your lineage and obligations," she touched her left shoulder. "Be thou a good knight," the Queen said, laying her hand on Anna's head.

"I dub thee Lady Anna, arise Lady Anna," she finished, pulling her hand away grandly while softly laughing against the other.

The girl jumped up and dove into the Queens arms. The woman gasped out in surprise, but she managed to catch the small girl. She brought her in closer and smiled.

"I'll protect you Elsa," she heard the girl say. "I'll always be there for you."

Elsa felt a warmth fill her chest and a prickle of tears behind her eyes.

This wasn't the first time she'd heard those words from Anna. She grasped at the girl tightly.

"I know Anna," she said with a tremble in her voice.

"I know."

* * *

Anna stirred from the memory and groaned softly.

She tried to rub at the sleepiness in her eyes and frowned at the stiffness in her body. She couldn't lift her hand. In fact, she was struggling to just open her eyes. It felt like gravity had increased tenfold, and she struggled under the weight of it.

_This isn't fair,_ she thought groggily. _The memory had been so nice. Waking up and stretching out to a beautiful morning should have followed that, shouldn't it? That's how things worked_, she thought in disappointment.

She tried to open her eyes again, harder this time, and when she succeeded her vision swam. Her sight wasn't greeted with the gentle morning light she was expecting. Instead, she was greeted with a blaze of hotness, courtesy of the afternoon sun.

She flinched and quickly shut her eyes. How long had she been asleep?

_When_ had she gone to sleep?

Her memories prior to waking up floated just shy of her grasp. She couldn't remember a thing. It never took this long to regain her senses after a night's rest. Why was she struggling to do so now?

Anna felt a tightness settle deep into her belly. Not being able to remember the previous day was a frightening thing.

Her body tensed at the thought and she forced her eyes open once again. She braved another wave of light, before her eyes adjusted, and she took in the sight of a glowing pink canopy.

Her heart rate calmed at the familiar sight of her room, and she allowed herself a small sigh of relief. It was a comfort to know that she wasn't stuck in an unfamiliar place, especially feeling as weak as she did now.

Anna moved to rub the tiredness from her eyes, but still found that she couldn't. Something warm was wrapped gently in her hand, and her neck strained to the side to see what she was holding.

Correction.

What was holding her.

Her eyes widened.

It was Elsa.

And like the other night, even in the midst of sleep, Anna still found the woman to be the picture of grace. She looked every bit like the slumbering maidens in her childhood story books. Anna smiled softly at the thought and found a sudden urge to hug the older woman. Her bones groaned loudly as she made the attempt to sit up, but movement was cut short when a flash of pain laced through her chest. She winced and sucked in a breath.

Moving hurt.

Every thing she did brought on a distressing ache, and that worried her to no end. What happened last night?

Her silent complaints were halted when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. To her surprise, the light shuffling from earlier had been enough to stir the queen.

S_he's an amazingly light sleeper_, Anna thought fleetingly, gazing as Elsa stirred and fluttered her eyes open.

The older woman looked towards the figure before her, mind still tracing the edges of sleep. It took a moment, a moment longer than the older woman would've liked, to notice that a pair of bright blue eyes were staring back at her. Her body snapped up straight, fully awakening at the sight.

"Anna!"

"Hey Elsa," the girl smiled weakly. Or she tried. It came out crooked and strained.

It hurt. Even smiling hurt.

And that's when it came to her. In a rush of images, Anna came to a startling revelation. She let lose a tiny groan and allowed her head to fall back onto the pillow below her. She remembered where this soreness had come from. And she remembered the moments immediately prior and after it too. The missed date, the storm, _everything_.

She remembered returning to her room to find that the Queen had been waiting for her. The look of grief across Elsa's face was the last thing she recalled before it all went black.

_So that's how I ended up here. I must have passed out_, she thought.

Anna closed her eyes and contemplated the troubling events. How long had she been unconscious for, and more importantly, how bad did the situation look on Elsa's end? She mulled over the details for a moment, but paused at the gentle weight prickling at her consciousness. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up to meet Elsa's gaze.

She noticed that the Queen was just sitting there, motionless. Completely still. She stood where she was and just stared; obviously still in a state of shock. She stared for a long moment, allowing the silence to weigh heavily between them. Another moment passed, before the Queen's bottom lip quivered and her vision filled with tears.

Anna's heart clenched at the sight. "Oh Elsa. It's okay. I'm here," she reassured hastily, forcing herself up. She ignored the aches and pains that brought a pounding to her head, and settled into a sitting position. She brought their joined hands over to rest on her lap, and gazed at them fondly, taking comfort in their closeness.

Something small and white floated into her vision and she looked up, startled at the light snowfall. The room was already dusted with a fine layer of it. When her gaze turned back to the Queen her heart dropped.

She saw a gaze that sparkled heavy with tears, and eyes brows that were scrunched high and together in worry. Anna despaired, knowing that she was the cause of it.

"Elsa," Anna breathed, before the Queen lunged forward and into her arms.

Elsa sobbed into the younger woman's shoulder and held onto her tightly. She wanted to make sure that this was real. That Anna was really there; that she was _safe._

"Elsa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…,"

"Didn't mean what, Anna?," the Queen interrupted, her voice heavy, "To disappear?"

Anna flinched at the tone, wanting to say yes, that was exactly it, but before she could the Queen drew back and looked her in the eye, "Anna, no one knew where you were," she said thickly, "Not Kristoff, not Olaf. The guards didn't even see you leave the castle grounds. You just vanished, Anna."

The Queen's eyes watered when memories of the morning a few days before surfaced.

She was worried the moment Anna didn't show for their afternoon plans. She asked the castle servants after her, and promptly panicked when no one had seen her since breakfast. The girl's lively spirit was hard to miss, and this absence sent a surge of worry through her body.

She quickly sent a runner to find Olaf and Kristoff. Maybe her panic was unwarranted, excessive, and she hoped that Anna had decided to pay a quick visit to the young man.

She ignored the small pang of jealousy that came with the thought, and eagerly awaited news of her sister. When both revealed that they hadn't seen the girl, Elsa's panic rushed back, bristling and hot.

Both had quickly set out to search for the girl, joined with a small fleet of the castle guards. They searched for hours into the day and hours more into the night. When they returned later that evening with no news of the girl, Elsa sank deeper into despair. She quickly dismissed them when the sound of crackling ice resounded through out the room.

She fell forward again, back into her sister embrace at the memory. She had frozen the throne room in a thick layer of frost and ice. She hadn't lost control like that in a long time. Not since the death of their parents. She hated that it happened again; hated that she risked the lives of those men. And more so, she hated that it was Anna she was grieving for this time. Her anger dissipated at the thought and she leaned weakly against Anna's front. She felt tired.

"I was so worried. I thought...I thought the worst, Anna."

Anna looked down at Elsa sadly. Her arms reached up and around the Queen and pulled her close. It felt strange to be on this side of the embrace, but she was going to try her hardest to comfort the Queen.

"Elsa," she called out softly and yawned. Where was this sleepiness coming from? "Elsa," she tried again.

She looked down and saw that the Queen was in a similar state. They were both exhausted from the events of the past few days and it showed. Anna frowned worriedly when she saw the dark smudges under the woman's eyes, and her frown deepened when she noticed how light the Queen felt laying against her. She vowed that she would take better care of the Queen once she regained her strength. Elsa forgets how to do that sometimes.

She sighed out tiredly before she continued, "I'm sorry that I worried you… I really am." Her speech was slowing, and her eyes lidded. "But Elsa, please know that I will never leave you." Her embrace slackened, but didn't slip.

"I love you," the words filtered out softly into the room.

She wasn't sure who said it. She felt the words leave her lips, but they rang out in the voice of another.

Either way, she smiled and fell back into the pillows behind her. She felt Elsa slide down along with her and noticed that the Queen was already asleep.

Yup, they were spent, both emotionally and physically.

They both hurt, they were both exhausted, and they were both still not okay.

Sleeping now seemed inappropriate, especially when Anna considered how serious the situation was. But these torrents of emotion had left them weary.

They needed this.

A moment to hold each other close.

They needed this moment to take comfort in that fact that even if everything wasn't okay, even if fears and sorrows still weighed heavy in their hearts, they still had each other.

And for now, that was enough.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes:** I've decided to follow a straight timeline, and it will follow the events of chapter two and on wards. So pretty much after the great thaw and on wards. 18 year old Anna, and 21 year old Elsa will be our constants in the story. I'll try my best to keep from jumping around. If I do veer from the intended path, then i'll be sure to label any flashbacks and everything else appropriately. Hopefully that'll eliminate any sort of confusion when reading this fic.

* * *

They woke up slowly, together, and in each others arms.

Anna blinked her eyes open and nearly bolted at the tight fear she felt gripping at her heart. Her body seized and her heart raced in preparation for the winds of a storm that would rattle her bones and cut through her like a knife. She spent a long moment like this, tense and anxious, but the winds never came. Instead of stiffening limbs and numbing cold she found herself wrapped up in warmth and comfort. She soon came to realize that there was no need to protect herself from a phantom storm. No natural storm would be able to penetrate the safety of the room, that she was now just beginning to recognize as hers.

This knowledge was welcomed, but still disorienting.

Anna shivered. The grasp of the North Mountain's storm would be a memory that her mind would hold on too for a long time yet. But as it was, she wouldn't dwell on that now. Now she would let her heart ease at the knowledge that she was still within the castle walls, nestled warmly in bed, and tucked in right next to Elsa. She wouldn't know what she'd do if she found herself on that mountain top again. Life had treated her cruelly once before.

Her hold on the woman tightened at the memory.

"Anna?"

The red head pulled away from the thought and refocused her attention to the present. She was with Elsa and she was safe. She'd learn to appreciate the little things in life.

"I'm sorry Elsa," she apologized, immediately loosening her hold.

The older woman rose from the embrace, and Anna followed her movements. They sat there a moment in silence, staring at each other and quietly contemplating the events of the previous day.

Anna shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The older woman's gaze was intense and she couldn't help the blush that rose up and burned bright on her cheeks.

Elsa eyed the tint of red curiously, briefly hoping that it wasn't due to the lingering fever, before she straightened and allowed a firm look to settle onto her face. "What happened to you Anna?" she asked softly, continuing from where they'd last left off.

Anna blinked and barely caught the woman's words. She tore her eyes away and shifted her gaze down onto her lap, biting nervously at her lip.

"Well um... you see," Anna began, then hesitated. She didn't know what to say. How was she supposed to explain the disappearance with out upsetting the older woman further? Elsa was stressed enough dealing with her own powers as it is, and she didn't want to overwhelm her with the struggles of her own. She'd rather put that off for as long as she could.

But... that wouldn't be fair would it?

Anna broke away from her thoughts and lifted her gaze, only to find a face of sorrow staring straight back. She could see the hurt in Elsa's eyes at her hesitance, and her heart clenched at the sight. An alarm went off in her head when she realized that the silence was upsetting the older woman. _She thinks I don't trust her. _

Anna decided then, that there would be no more secrets. They've been through enough already, and she refused to create anymore distance between them. She wouldn't hide this any longer.

"Elsa it's okay, calm down," she said hurriedly, trying to ease the woman. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just, um, how should I put this?" Anna's brows drew together in concentration as she tried to figure out a way to break it to the older woman as gently as possible. She smiled when an idea came to mind.

"I know this might seem a little off topic, but bare with me please." She bit her lip before continuing, "Remember that night when you were eight, you stayed up so late at the library that you fell asleep?"

"Yes," Elsa said slowly, unsure of what the girl was trying to get at, "But I've done that numerous times. You'll have to be more specific." Elsa leaned back and allowed a slight frown to form on her face. Anna was stalling, she knew that for certain, but she had no idea why.

"Think back to the first time it happened."

"But what does that have to do with anything...,"

"Elsa, please. Just try and remember," Anna interrupted, gazing at her in earnest.

At the look on the girl's face Elsa drew back and relented. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she dove into her memories to find what the girl was searching for. Falling asleep in the library. She would do that on occasion, even now as grown as she was. It was a troublesome habit that she couldn't shake, stemming from the day of the accident. Elsa flinched at the thought.

That first day apart had been so hard on her, and the resulting loneliness had her turning to books for comfort. She had spent hours locked away in the library that first night. She remembered falling asleep curled up next to a stack of books. "...I remember how hard the floor was."

"Well!" Anna interrupted excitedly, "I was the one who carried you back to your room!"

Anna practically bounced in her seat, hoping that the older woman remembered, but Elsa still looked at her with that same questioning gaze.

Anna's movements calmed to a halt when she noticed the look, and her sliver of hope vanished at the sight. She sighed before slumping back against the head board in disappointment.

She thought the memory was significant enough to make the older woman realize where she was going with this. It was to her at least. _But then again,_ she reasoned, _time might have something to do with it_.

It had been years for Elsa since that little incident, 13 if she counted right, while for herself it had only been a few months.

Anna clearly remembered the sight of the sleeping child laying on the floor, surround by piles and piles of books. Elsa looked so small and helpless then, and what made it worse was the fact that the young girl was curled up next to a fire place that wasn't lit.

Anna had rushed over instantly. She pulled the cloak off her shoulders and gently wrapped it around the poor girl. That had been before she learned of Elsa's powers, and she remember being furious that the girl was left alone for so long in that cold room. Her anger quickly turned into heart ache when she noticed the tears in the child's eyes. Anna sniffed suddenly and felt the sting of tears in her own. She was familiar with the sorrows of loneliness, and reality struck her hard when she saw that Elsa had experienced the same pain right along side her. They were together in that aspect, and that made it hurt all the more.

She gathered the child up into her arms and held onto her close. Anna had to rely on the cover of the shadows to sneak the girl back to her room, and she sighed in relief when the door shut softly behind them. She was glad it was late enough into the night. Who knows what would have happened if someone saw _her_, a stranger technically, holding an unconscious heir of Arendelle in her arms. _That would've been trouble. And maybe a little exciting,_ she thought with humored relief.

She readjusted Elsa in her arms and made her way to the girl's bed. Every step felt heavier and a frown stretched tight across her face when she noticed how empty the room was. A moment passed before realization dawned on her.

Her heart sank deep into her chest. This must have been their first night apart. Her toys weren't even moved yet and everything just looked so... bare. Anna's hold on the girl tightened. Elsa would be spending the next 13 years of her life here. Alone and hiding away in fear.

Anna placed the girl gently on the bed and looked at her sadly. The cloaked she laid around the girl was the only color that stood out in this dark and grey place. Everything in this moment just felt so cold and depressing. Anna frowned deeply before an idea came to mind.

Quietly, she snuck out of the room and made her way down the hall to a door with pink trimmings. She opened it softly and made her way inside. She ignored the sight of an empty pink bed, and made her way to the blue box filled with toys.

She wasn't strong enough to drag the whole thing back with her, but she did manage to bring an armful of toys back to Elsa's room. If the girl was forced to be alone, then at least she wouldn't be alone in such a depressing place.

Anna rested her hands on her hips and looked around proudly. Everything looked so much better now. The grayness had ebbed away, and now the room glowed warmly with the comforting hues of blue. She decided to finish up with a letter of encouragement for the girl. It was really out of habit that she did so. She loved leaving notes laying around for Elsa to read. She liked to pretend that Elsa took as much comfort in reading them has she did writing them.

_The letters! Of_ course! Anna shook her head from the memory, and a smile jumped back onto her lips when she remembered the letter she had left behind. Written by her own hand only two short months ago.

"Didn't you ever notice the letters I've left laying around for you?"

At that the older woman sent a warm smile her way and her shoulders seemed to relax.

_Yes! Progress!_

"Thank you for those Anna," the woman said, genuinely happy. "I've kept every single one if you'd like to see them."

The smile on her face faltered slightly when Elsa still hadn't caught on. "But...didn't you notice anything strange about them?"

The look on the older woman's face turned to confusion at the question. "Not at all. I thought they were very sweet. They've helped me through a lot of lonely days."

Anna beamed happily at that, before shaking her head and remembering the task at hand. "Wasn't it strange that the earliest one's were in cursive? And some pretty impressive cursive I might add." Anna asked earnestly. She had been proud of how greatly her penmanship had improved over the years, and she hoped that it was impressive enough to earn Elsa's attention.

Elsa chuckled lightly, "Yes of course. Your penmanship at five rivaled mine at that age."

Anna pouted deeply at that and crossed her arms over her chest in a huff. _I wasn't five when I wrote those. _But she chose to keep that thought to herself.

Elsa chuckled harder at the look on the younger woman's face. "Oh come now Anna, that was a complement. Now what are you trying to get at. Just tell me, _please_." Elsa said, her smile falling away and her voice ending in a plea.

The pout on Anna's face melted away and her shoulders slumped in defeat. She really needed to work on her tactfulness. "I just..." Anna paused. She remembered then, the promise she made to herself. _No more secrets. _She straightened in her seat with a firmer resolve. "Yeah, okay."

Anna took a deep breath and looked Elsa straight in the eyes. Now or never. "Let's just say that you're not the only one with..."

A loud knock on the door sounded. "Your Majesty?"

Anna jumped slightly at the voice and both women turned to the door, startled. _Really?!_

Elsa looked at her with an apologetic look, before turning to the door and speaking with barely concealed harshness. "What is it? Didn't I say that I wanted to be left alone with Anna?"

"I-i'm sorry your Majesty," the man said with a stutter, "But a matter has come up that requires your presence immediately."

"I'm sorry Kai, but it can wait."

"No."

Elsa turned to Anna sharply. "What?"

Anna reached out to grab onto Elsa's arm, trying ease the older woman out of any worry. "It's okay Elsa. You better go."

Elsa looked back with a frown pulling down at the corner of her lips. "What? No, you just woke up. I don't want to leave you."

"I'll be _fine_ Elsa. You have duties to attend to and I wont stand in the way of that. Besides, you've already stayed with me these past few days, right? I'm sure I'll be fine for a few moments on my own." Anna smiled and gave Elsa's arm a reassuring squeeze. "I promise i'll be waiting for you when you finish."

"Anna." Elsa breathed, slightly stunned at Anna's display of maturity. "I'll just... i'll just be a moment then. I'll be back as soon as possible." Elsa looked at her a moment longer before rising from the bed. "I'll make sure of it."

Anna nodded her head, the smile never leaving her face. "I know."

With one last look and the light brushing of her hand against Anna's cheek, Elsa turned and walked from the room with a flourish of graceful haste.

When the door closed softly with a click, Anna allowed the smile to fall from her face. She didn't mean to force Elsa away. No, more then anything, she wanted to tell Elsa the truth. But she knew it couldn't be that simple. For the moment she heard Kai's voice, she had felt_ it._

A light tickling at the back of her mind.

She wont be able to keep her promise.

* * *

Anna walked quickly down the halls of the castle. The moment she was left alone she jumped straight for her closet and dressed in the warmest garb she could find. After the last excursion she wanted to be as prepared as possible.

_That was fifteen minutes ago_, the girl thought in frustration,_ why am I still here?_ She knew she didn't imagine it. The pull at her being was a hard thing to misinterpret. There was no other feeling like it.

_Another tug._

There!

So she did_ feel_ it. It was there. But... something was strange. It wasn't doing what it usually did. Instead it felt...delayed somehow, like it wasn't ready to take her yet. The violent pull she was accustomed too wasn't there, and that confused her to no end. The sensation of traveling through time was disorienting, powerful. It should have plucked her away without mercy by now, and usually with no time to prepare herself.

"Ughhh, what's taking so long?" She wanted to get this over with. Sometimes her travels would be a short affair. Brief in it's length of stealing her away. If she was lucky, then she could get back before her absence was noticed. She had been lucky in the past before. But now..Why was it taking so long _now_?

She continued to stomp down the halls, each step leading her deeper and deeper into the castle. She hoped that some light activity would hasten the effects. Wake it up so to speak. But as of now, she could _still_ only just feel that light persistent tug. It was strange to find the sensation annoying, instead of frightening.

She rounded a corner sharply and bumped into the last person she wanted to see at the moment.

"Elsa?!"

Elsa blinked in surprise at seeing her sister so suddenly. "Oh Anna, I was just on my way back." She took in the sight of the girl up and about and her gaze grew serious. "What are you doing out of bed so soon? You should be resting."

_Another tug._

"I was just," Anna began, trying to get her bearings straight. The tug pulled a little tighter just now, and it was making rational thought an increasingly difficult thing to grasp at. "I was just. Trying to get a snack. Yeah! I mean yes. A snack. You know I must have knocked out for a while because boy am I hungry." Anna quickly rubbed her stomach to emphasize the point.

The older woman's eyes narrowed. "Right... but why are you all dressed up?" At that, Elsa took a step back and traced her eyes up and down the girl. The first thing she noticed was that Anna was bundled up far more then she needed to be; especially if grabbing a snack was her only intention.

"Oh! Ummm..." _Darn it._ Elsa was too perceptive for her own good."I was...just... planning to find you; after the snack of course. I was going to ask if you'd like to go out for the afternoon. And obviously," Anna said gesturing to her cloths, "I made sure to be ready for all that snow." Anna grimaced. Both at her weak excuse and also at the growing strength of the tug. Only now did it decide to be more forceful in it's attempts. _Why though? Why now? Why does the universe hate me. _

She raised her eyes to Elsa's and found that a light frown had stretched tight across the older woman's face. She flinched and hoped, with everything she had, that it was due to confusion and not a growing distrust. "A-and I better head over to the kitchens before we head out for the day right?" Anna turned on her heels. "So i'll see you in a bit," she said before bounding past Elsa and down the halls.

"Anna wait!" Elsa said reaching out for the girl. "But..." Her fingers curled and her hand drew back slowly, "it's summer."

She stood there in a daze of confusion. What was going on with Anna? Her brow furrowed and her eyes hardened with a goal in mind. Something was wrong, she concluded, and she was going to find out what. Anna wasn't allowed to disappear and come back sick and hurt with out a proper explanation. Anna had always been there for _her._ Even...even when she made it difficult for the girl by pushing her away each time. But now...now it was her turn to be there for Anna.

Her body surged forward and with no hesitation left in her movements, she gave chase.

* * *

"Anna wait!"

Anna looked back and saw the Queen approaching at an alarmingly fast pace. _No no no no. She shouldn't be following me. _The tug at her being was stronger now. It pulled and grasped with the strength that brought a familiar fright to her heart.

She didn't get a chance to explain. If she'd had the bravery to tell Elsa the truth right when she awoke, then she wouldn't be running away like this. She couldn't let the older woman see her disappear now. Not without having the chance to explain everything properly.

Her vision tunneled and the familiar buzz of energy was already numbing her limbs. She heard the clicking of heels not too far behind, and she feared glancing back. _No!_ She willed her feet to go faster. _Just a little further. _There was a corner just ahead, and if she could just make that turn...

"Anna why are you running away?"

She ignored the hurt in the older woman's voice and pressed onward. "Elsa!," she called over her shoulder. "You don't need to follow me." She tried to keep her voice light and playful, but she couldn't help the panic that seeped into it. "I'll meet you back at my room! Just... please just meet me there!" She said hurriedly, taking one last glance at the woman before twisting her body left. She had finally turned the corner and, as expected, her footsteps faded with her.

"What? Anna!" Elsa had had enough of these games. _What was Anna running from_? Her confusion lasted a moment before the sting of realization prodded and poke at her heart. Anna was running away from _her_. That fact was as obvious as much as it hurt. But the question that weighed heavy on her mind was _why?_ Had she done something to upset the other girl?

Her fists tightened and her pace sped up. She should't have left so soon. She should have been there till she knew for certain that the younger girl was alright. A guilty though entered her mind, _she didn't even bother to ask if she was._

She approached the corner and nearly slipped. Her ice slippers combined with her forward momentum did not make turning corners easy. She closed her eyes and threw her arms out in front of her. A strong gale of wind and snow blasted out from her finger tips and pushed against the quickly approaching wall. The opposite force of the wind was enough to slow her down, and she stopped just shy of a painful experience. Once she regained her balance she turned to face the hall, took a deep breath and yelled. "Anna! Anna stop right this..." Her calls died in her throat when her eyes finally peaked open. Elsa stumbled back and let out a shaking breath.

Her eyes widened.

If Anna had taken a right, then she wouldn't be trembling so badly. But as it was, right in front of her, right where Anna (and herself) had mistakenly thought to be a hall, was a solid stone wall.

_What in the world?_

Anna had gone left, she was sure of it.

A breeze blew past her and she shuddered lightly. Her arms instinctively rose up to wrap tightly around her middle. Was she going mad? Anna couldn't have disappeared into thin air. That was impossible. Right? Elsa shook her head and tried to calm her thoughts. She needed a moment. A moment to breath, to gather her thoughts, a moment to find the rationality in all this. Elsa turned around and leaned back against the wall.

Anna had wandered the castle all her life. She knew every nook and cranny. Maybe this was some sort of false wall? The theory made sense. It was the only thing that would explain how Anna was able to disappear like that.

Elsa pushed off the wall and turned around. She look at it a moment before pressing her hand against the stone and giving a light push. _Hmm, it seems sturdy._ She raised her other hand and knocked against various parts of the wall.

It sounded solid on all ends, but that couldn't be. Maybe she had missed a spot? Elsa crouched down low and stretch up high, knocking on every square stone she could reach. As the minutes passed her frustration grew. It grew along with the bruises that flamed across her bare knuckles. She knocked roughly against the stone one last time before giving up. A brief thought flew through her mind, and she contemplated the option of just blowing through the wall. But...no she shouldn't.

Finally fed up with the fruitless attempts she turned around and leaned against the wall once again.

Another breeze blew past her, but she paid it no heed. Her frustration from earlier diminished quick and it left her feeling tired. She closed her eyes tight when she felt a sting of wetness gather. Why would Anna run away from her like that? What was she hiding?

A giggle, soft and echoing, snapped her from her thoughts, and it forced her gaze up in quite alarm. Her heart rate picked up as her eyes quickly darted down the hall in front of her, looking for the source of the noise. That sound... that was the sound of a child's laughter. And if her knowledge of the staff and their corresponding ages were correct, then there shouldn't be anyone younger than Anna with in the castle grounds. Especially not one who possessed the voice as youthful as the one she'd just heard.

Goosebumps quickly rose across her skin and she wrapped her arms around her shoulders to rub them away. She _was_ going mad then.

Another giggle sounded, followed closely by a light pattering of steps. It was coming from the hall opposite of her. _Anna?_ Maybe she had seen wrong, maybe Anna had turned right at the bend. She blamed the mistake on the confusion that had been piling up over the past few days, and decided to pursue the noise.

Elsa slumped off the wall and her feet moved forward, determined to find the source of the faint laughter.

The longer she followed the noise, the more it sounded like it was coming from every direction. It echoed off the walls and caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. Right when she thought she had caught up to the steps, a soft laugh sounded from behind her. Elsa turned on her heels, "Who's there?" Her voice was tight and her heart pounded hard against her chest.

Another giggle.

And again it sounded from behind her.

_Right_ behind her.

Her eyes widened and she whirled around, arms raised and posture strung tight.

"Surprise!" A ball of red yelled in excitement, jumping free from the shadows of a near by curtain.

Elsa's eyes grew large and her mouth fell open. She nearly tripped, stumbling back from the sight. "Anna?!"

Except this wasn't Anna. Anna was nearly twice as tall and nearly a decade or so older then the youthful apparition that appeared before her. Anna couldn't be standing in front of her as she was now.

It was _impossible_.

Elsa's hands flew to her mouth and quickly muffled the scream that blew past her lips.

* * *

A/N

Thanks again for the kind words! The reviews I've been receiving have been both encouraging and helpful and I appreciate each one.

Please don't hesitate to tell me if anything sounds off or confusing. If you're specific enough with any issue, then I'll try my best to fix them up as best I can. :3


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